Nigeria, Jamaica advance talks on bilateral aviation agreement

By Dickson Omobola Following a meeting between the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the Jamaican High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lincoln Downer, Nigeria and Jamaica are set to strengthen bilateral aviation relations as both countries move closer to concluding and signing their reviewed Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA.

Disclosing details of the meeting in a statement, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Tunde Moshood, said the meeting focused on the finalisation of the existing BASA between the two countries, with particular emphasis on enhancing air travel, improving connectivity and creating a stronger framework for aviation cooperation between both countries.

Moshood stated that the agreement had undergone extensive legal and technical reviews by officials of both countries, with the respective teams working to perfect the necessary documentation ahead of its formal endorsement. According to him, during the meeting, Downer expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far, noting that both countries had reached a critical stage in the process and were now looking towards setting a date for the signing.

He was quoted to have said: “We are pleased now that we are at the point where we can now sign. We shared the legally reviewed text with your team, so I haven’t heard from them. That’s what I wanted to know today, where we stand, so that we can then set the date. You can give us an update?” The statement added: “In response, Keyamo requested the relevant file to ascertain the status of the documentation.

He was briefed that the agreement had already undergone the necessary review by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and had been returned, with the process now at an advanced stage of completion. “The Minister subsequently directed that a final copy of the agreement be made available to the Jamaican High Commissioner for a final review and proofreading to ensure that both parties are fully satisfied with the text before proceeding to the signing.

“Both sides are now working towards agreeing on a mutually convenient date for the formal endorsement, tentatively scheduled to take place in Kingston, Jamaica, either in the last week of November or the first week of December 2026.”